Finding Fall with East End Artist Jim Hoell

Fall is a magical season on the East End, people soaking up the harvest-time atmosphere in the Hamptons and on the North Fork, reveling in picking pumpkins and trading beach umbrellas for bushels of apples. But the season is as much an inspiration for painting as for picking.

“Autumn is such an exciting time for an artist,” says East End painter Jim Hoell. “I think it’s the most vibrant of the seasons. Not to take away from the other seasons, because they are fantastic in their own right—but fall just seems clearer, crisper somehow, like all of those hazy days of summer have been blown away with the changing winds. The farms with their rolling fields, endless meadows of changing colors and vibrant blue skies inspire one to dip their brush into the landscape.”

How do you decide upon a subject to paint? It’s organic. I really don’t have to think about a subject, subjects are all around me. These days it’s more therapeutic, it comes from within. My art is essential.

What does it mean to you to be part of the East End artists community? The Island can be very commercial, so it’s inspiring to see the arts thriving out here. There are a lot of receptions in the community and as an artist it is nice to get out and see the other artists work.

As an East End artist, what’s special about having your work on a Dan’s Papers cover? I love how Dan’s Papers acts as a vehicle to promote artists. It is one of the most popular papers in the Hamptons and a great way to give exposure to the artists.

Are there any subjects, mediums, etc. that you would still like to explore as an artist? I have been thinking a lot about “used items” lately (green thinking—recycling) in terms of sculpture, but I am always thinking of new ways to express myself.

What do you like to do when you’re not working on your art? Art is always a part of my life; if I’m not painting I’m writing, creating music with my guitar or taking photographs. I am also an avid traveler; nature is my constant companion in my art.